[bigred100]

I can’t imagine any circumstance other than a Ph.D program where someone spends 5+ years studying in depth some tiny area of science and practicing research. And without doing that I’m having trouble believing almost anyone will do serious research. There are a few people who did it but to me that is extraordinarily unlikely.

[superhuzza]

Agreed, those people are few and far between. Even if your job is fairly stable, you'll more likely work 'around' a problem more than a deep dive into a very specific problem.

[minkzilla]

Unless it is your job. There are plenty of research jobs depending on your field.

[bigred100]

Which usually require a Ph.D (at least in my field).